ST. LOUIS -- At 6:02 p.m. Central Daylight Time Saturday, when Gregory Polanco swung through a Trevor Rosenthal fastball to finish the Pirates' 4-1 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, their yearlong goal -- stated loudly, proudly from the first day balls were rolled out in Bradenton -- hit a hard wall.
"Just missed it," Polanco would fairly whisper afterward, fully aware he'd represented the tying run. "I saw it, I felt good ... so close."
So close, indeed.
These Pirates won't win the division, as they'd set out to do.
Not 6 1/2 games back, with three weeks on the schedule.
Not against this very special St. Louis team that's steaming toward 108 wins.
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